There are 177 colleges in North Carolina - 76 public and 101 private schools.
The 2024 average tuition & fees of the 4-year colleges in North Carolina is $7,438 for North Carolina residents and $20,438 for out-of-state students. In private colleges, the average tuition & fees is $26,585. For North Carolina community colleges, the average tuition & fees is $2,542 for state residents and $8,473 for out-of-state students.
In North Carolina, for public 4-years colleges, in-state tuition & fees increased by -0.04% from $6,713 (2015) to $6,710 (2024) and out-of-state tuition & fees grew by 4.51% over the past decade from $19,556 (2015) to $20,438 (2024).
In private North Carolina colleges, the tuition & fees increased by 22.83%, from $22,291 (2015) to $27,380 (2024).
Cost of Attendance (COA) Trends
Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased 12.65% when living on campus and 11.93% when living off campus at North Carolina Colleges.
In private North Carolina Colleges, the COA has increase by 23.41% (on-campus) and 22.59% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.
For the academic year 2023-2024, the total cost of attendance is $37,362 when a student lives on campus and $37,695 when living off campus at North Carolina Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of COA for North Carolina Colleges over the past 10 years.
Cost of Attendance (COA) Trends of North Carolina Colleges
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools |
|---|
| 2014-15 |
$20,322 | $33,165 | $35,900 | $20,835 | $33,678 | $36,413 |
|---|
| 2015-16 |
$20,704
1.88% | $33,833
2.01% | $36,619
2.00% | $21,142
1.47% | $34,271
1.76% | $37,057
1.77% |
|---|
| 2016-17 |
$21,316
2.96% | $34,739
2.68% | $37,678
2.89% | $21,439
1.40% | $34,862
1.72% | $37,801
2.01% |
|---|
| 2017-18 |
$21,634
1.49% | $35,323
1.68% | $38,440
2.02% | $22,006
2.64% | $35,695
2.39% | $38,812
2.67% |
|---|
| 2018-19 |
$21,426
-0.96% | $33,891
-4.05% | $38,341
-0.26% | $21,838
-0.76% | $34,303
-3.90% | $38,753
-0.15% |
|---|
| 2019-20 |
$21,746
1.49% | $34,393
1.48% | $38,953
1.60% | $21,963
0.57% | $34,610
0.89% | $39,170
1.08% |
|---|
| 2020-21 |
$22,143
1.83% | $34,791
1.16% | $40,097
2.94% | $21,854
-0.50% | $34,502
-0.31% | $39,808
1.63% |
|---|
| 2021-22 |
$22,521
1.71% | $35,359
1.63% | $41,126
2.57% | $22,541
3.14% | $35,379
2.54% | $41,146
3.36% |
|---|
| 2022-23 |
$22,459
-0.28% | $35,623
0.75% | $41,514
0.94% | $22,477
-0.28% | $35,641
0.74% | $41,532
0.94% |
|---|
| 2023-24 |
$23,634
5.23% | $37,362
4.88% | $44,304
6.72% | $23,967
6.63% | $37,695
5.76% | $44,637
7.48% |
|---|
Tuition & Fees Changes
For the current year (2024), the average tuition & fees for North Carolina Colleges is $6,710 for North Carolina residents and $20,438 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $28,642.
For graduate programs, the 2024 average graduate tuition & fees is $11,346 for North Carolina residents and $25,509 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $17,331.
The tuition & fees has increased 4.51% for undergraduate programs and 17.32% for graduate programs at North Carolina Colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.
Tuition & Fees Changes for North Carolina Colleges
| Year | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools | In-State | Out-of-State | Private Schools |
|---|
| 2014-15 |
$6,713 | $19,556 | $22,291 | $7,040 | $19,264 | $13,667 |
|---|
| 2015-16 |
$6,984
4.04% | $20,113
2.85% | $22,899
2.73% | $7,365
4.62% | $19,910
3.35% | $13,810
1.05% |
|---|
| 2016-17 |
$7,157
2.48% | $20,580
2.32% | $23,519
2.71% | $7,671
4.15% | $20,523
3.08% | $14,187
2.73% |
|---|
| 2017-18 |
$7,436
3.90% | $21,125
2.65% | $24,242
3.07% | $7,882
2.75% | $21,034
2.49% | $14,580
2.77% |
|---|
| 2018-19 |
$7,008
-5.76% | $19,473
-7.82% | $23,923
-1.32% | $8,024
1.80% | $21,360
1.55% | $14,728
1.02% |
|---|
| 2019-20 |
$7,121
1.61% | $19,768
1.51% | $24,328
1.69% | $8,141
1.46% | $21,604
1.14% | $15,394
4.52% |
|---|
| 2020-21 |
$7,174
0.74% | $19,822
0.27% | $25,128
3.29% | $8,161
0.25% | $21,624
0.09% | $15,994
3.90% |
|---|
| 2021-22 |
$7,202
0.39% | $20,040
1.10% | $25,807
2.70% | $8,196
0.43% | $21,934
1.43% | $15,811
-1.14% |
|---|
| 2022-23 |
$6,652
-7.64% | $19,816
-1.12% | $25,707
-0.39% | $8,259
0.77% | $22,206
1.24% | $16,885
6.79% |
|---|
| 2023-24 |
$6,710
0.87% | $20,438
3.14% | $27,380
6.51% | $8,437
2.16% | $22,600
1.77% | $16,372
-3.04% |
|---|
Books & Supplies Costs Changes
For the current year (2024), the average book & supplies costs is $1,148 for North Carolina Colleges. The following table shows the changes of book & supplies costs from year 2015 to 2024.
Books & Supplies Costs Changes for North Carolina Colleges
| Year | Books & Supplies |
|---|
| 2014-15 | $1,197 |
|---|
| 2015-16 | $1,203
0.50% |
|---|
| 2016-17 | $1,140
-5.24% |
|---|
| 2017-18 | $1,152
1.05% |
|---|
| 2018-19 | $1,146
-0.52% |
|---|
| 2019-20 | $1,152
0.52% |
|---|
| 2020-21 | $1,179
2.34% |
|---|
| 2021-22 | $1,169
-0.85% |
|---|
| 2022-23 | $1,101
-5.82% |
|---|
| 2023-24 | $1,148
4.27% |
|---|
Living Costs Changes
For North Carolina Colleges, the living have increased 22.67% when a student lives on campus facilities and 19.32% when living off campus from year 2015 to 2024. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.
Living Costs Changes for North Carolina Colleges
| Year | Living On Campus | Living Off Campus |
|---|
| 2014-15 | $12,412 | $13,137 |
|---|
| 2015-16 | $12,517
2.90% | $13,269
1.83% |
|---|
| 2016-17 | $13,019
4.32% | $13,709
1.70% |
|---|
| 2017-18 | $13,046
1.03% | $13,825
2.81% |
|---|
| 2018-19 | $13,272
3.09% | $14,015
4.02% |
|---|
| 2019-20 | $13,473
0.99% | $14,137
-0.15% |
|---|
| 2020-21 | $13,790
2.50% | $14,264
-0.58% |
|---|
| 2021-22 | $14,150
3.17% | $15,016
2.57% |
|---|
| 2022-23 | $14,706
3.84% | $15,597
3.89% |
|---|
| 2023-24 | $15,776
6.32% | $16,629
10.21% |
|---|